


Daysleeper

by SilverRowan_Ivy630951



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Boys In Love, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Captain America Steve Rogers, Crying, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, POV Bucky Barnes, POV Steve Rogers, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Sleeping Together, Smut, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:42:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27602954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverRowan_Ivy630951/pseuds/SilverRowan_Ivy630951
Summary: Steve tiredly dragged himself through the front door of his and Bucky's apartment after a very long day. Collapsing onto the couch, he fell into an exhausted sleep.Bucky walked quietly into the apartment, unsure of what Steve's plans were, but thinking he was maybe in meetings down the hall in their home office. Instead, he found Steve curled up on the couch, sound asleep. Well, after a long mission, a nap sounded like just the thing.(Where Both Steve and Bucky have feelings but the other doesn't know. Then, after a nap, they both get to *ehem*feelthings.)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 12
Kudos: 171





	Daysleeper

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Daretodream66](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daretodream66/gifts).



> This is gifted to Daretodream66 for their birthday. Happy birthday, pal. 
> 
> The title is taken from R.E.M.’s song Daysleeper. 
> 
> And, in case you were wondering, there are no sexy times while anyone is asleep. 
> 
> (P.S. Let me know if you find any errors. This is self-beta’d.)

Steve hated meetings. He hated press conferences. And, lucky him, he’d been stuck in both. All day long. It had been a very long and trying day. He was so tired.

How was it possible that talking to people for twelve hours was more exhausting than fighting in back-to-back battles for a week straight? Was he just starting to get old? After today, he felt like it, even if he still looked the same as always.

Dragging himself through the front door of his and Bucky’s apartment, Steve pulled his dress shirt off so he was just wearing his undershirt. Then, toeing off his shined dress shoes, he collapsed onto the couch. With his head against and his arm draped over the arm of the couch, he fell into an exhausted sleep.

*****

Bucky walked quietly into the apartment just in case Steve was in a conference call or meeting. He knew that Steve had _something_ planned for the day, even if he wasn’t sure exactly what that was. Bucky’s mission hadn’t been expected to end until the next day or the day after so he hadn’t paid _that_ close attention to today’s plans, figuring he wouldn’t be here and wouldn’t have the time to call.

So, when Bucky looked around what he could see of the apartment and didn’t spot Steve, he figured he was right. Steve was either gone or in the office on a call.

He started stripping off the top half of his combat suit as he headed down the hall and, creeping past the closed office door, went to his room to stash his gear and weapons in the hamper and secure weapons closet respectively. He took a quick shower and changed into his sushi pajama pants and a black tank top. Then he headed for the kitchen.

Still being quiet, Bucky made himself a sandwich. He was halfway through eating it when he decided to head into the living room to quietly watch some TV.

But he stopped short at the sight that met his eyes.

A navy blue dress shirt lay crumpled on the ground and a pair of shoes were scattered haphazardly nearby. And Steve was passed out on the couch.

Bucky knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help but find his friend utterly adorable.

It wasn’t really that unusual for Bucky. He nearly always thought Steve looked adorable. Or hot. Or sexy. Counting only the years he’d been in his right mind, Bucky had been in love with his best friend for most of his life. But he knew Steve didn’t feel the same way—now or back then—so Bucky kept his mouth shut and his feelings a secret. Having friendship and loyalty were enough. Having some of Steve Rogers was better than having nothing at all.

But the way Steve looked now, curled up and clutching at the arm of the couch pulled at something in Bucky’s heart.

A thought occurred to him in that moment but he hesitated. He knew they were friends—still best friends, even after all these years—but, if he acted on his momentary desire, he might be crossing a line. It probably wouldn’t destroy their friendship, too long ingrained in their lives, but it might change it. It might make things extremely awkward for a while.

But Bucky _wanted_. Steve looked so soft and warm and—

Making the decision to risk it, he downed the rest of his sandwich and drink. Then he went and grabbed a warm blanket from the hall closet.

Using all the stealth he’d learned in his seventy-plus years as the Winter Soldier, Bucky slid over the back of the couch and settled onto his side behind Steve. He carefully covered them both from the waist down with the blanket and then leaned against Steve’s body. He kept his hands to himself because he was positive that would be going too far, but he relaxed and closed his eyes.

Reveling in Steve’s insane amount of body heat, Bucky accidentally slipped into sleep.

*****

Steve woke feeling well rested and comfortable. He was nice and warm and, for some reason, felt decidedly safe. So much so, that his brain struggled against truly waking.

He floated for who knew how long before he registered something lying heavy across his waist. It wasn’t much longer before he took stock of his body. Not only was there something lying across his waist, but there was heat pressed against him from behind and something tangled with his legs.

Finally opening his eyes, he looked down. He was surprised to see a metal arm wrapped around him.

_Bucky._

His brain stalled at that.

Bucky shifted the tiniest bit behind him and mumbled something in his sleep, pulling Steve ever closer. One of his legs, tangled with Steve's, bent at the knee and slid higher. It wedged Bucky’s thigh, hard with muscles, snug against Steve’s…well, against Steve’s everything.

Having just woken up feeling all warm and cozy and safe, feeling Bucky behind him, wrapped around him, Steve couldn’t not react. His cock began to fill and his face grew hot.

They’d shared a bed sometimes growing up and during the winters when they’d rented an apartment together before the war. He knew that Bucky probably thought nothing of sleeping curled up together like this. But Steve had always wished it had meant more, even when those thoughts had seemed like a betrayal of their friendship.

Shifting a little to try to get a little more room in his pants for his hardening cock, He accidentally pressed back against Bucky’s thigh. It made his heart feel like it skipped a beat and he was forced to keep his breath steady as he pulled away again.

All his movement, though, caused his undershirt to ride up. Two of Bucky’s metal fingers now touched bare skin.

As if seeking more body heat, Bucky’s hand slid down to lay flat against his stomach before sliding up under his shirt.

_Fuck!_

His heart rate picked up a little bit of speed as his cock became even more interested.

“Buck.”

Dammit, his voice was halfway to sounding wrecked. His best friend was asleep behind him, not even aware of what was happening, and Steve sounded like he was ten steps from nirvana. He’d barely even been touched, for fuck’s sake.

He shifted again and cleared his throat. “Bucky.”

After long a moment, Bucky’s metal hand slowly slid up his stomach to his pec and started pinching and plucking at his nipple.

“Fuck,” Steve whispered. It came out breathy and strained. He turned his head to press his forehead against the couch. But it turned out he was lying on Bucky’s right arm, not a pillow or the arm of the couch. He couldn’t make himself pull away, though. He could only close his eyes and feel.

He’d wanted Bucky for so long, he could hardly remember a time when he hadn’t. He’d been in love with his best friend for so much of his life that he didn’t know who he was without that. Even before it had turned romantic when they’d been teenagers, Steve had loved Bucky.

And now… Now, this was like a dream come true. Except _Bucky didn’t know_. Bucky was still asleep.

Doing his best—and failing—to not widen his legs and grind back against Bucky’s thigh, it was all Steve could do to not moan.

The fingers pinching his nipple suddenly stopped. Steve couldn’t help the whimper that escaped when they did. It was almost a relief when Bucky’s hand slid slowly over to his other nipple and began pinching and plucking, sliding fingers and scraping fingernails over his heated skin.

Steve was quickly losing his mind.

“Fuck. Bucky, please tell me you’re awake.” He had to be awake. Now that this was happening, Steve couldn’t stand it if Bucky woke up and was horrified at what was happening. He couldn’t lose his best friend but he wanted so much more. If this was his opportunity to get it…

Bucky didn’t answer Steve. Not verbally, anyway. What he did was bend his head down to kiss Steve’s neck, biting and sucking at the tendon there. The hand that had been playing with Steve’s nipple gave one last pinching twist, harder than all the rest, before it slid down, caressing the lines and ridges of his body.

When he reached the waistband of Steve’s pants, though, he paused. Sliding the tips of two fingers inside, he waited. It was like he was silently asking permission. Or maybe he was intentionally trying to make Steve go insane.

“Buck, please. Yes. Please, yes.” He canted his hips up, trying to get some friction. Or maybe he was trying to get Bucky’s hand in his pants quicker. He didn’t even know. He could hardly think.

There was a deep, sexy laugh behind him, rumbling from Bucky’s chest into his own. “There something you want, Stevie?”

Steve moaned.

When Bucky still didn’t move, when Steve didn’t get what he wanted, his brain finally engaged. He remembered that he had two hands he was capable of using to his own advantage.

Two could play the teasing game.

He spread his legs wider and wrapped the top one around Bucky to hold him in place. Then he shifted and reached behind him. Finding soft, stretchy material, Steve slid his hand in Bucky’s pants and cupped his cock to feel the weight of its fullness. Then he wrapped a fist around it. With a thrill zinging through his blood at getting to touch Bucky like he’d wanted to for _years_ , Steve gave a gentle tug up and down, teasing more than anything.

Bucky made the most beautiful sound, a strangled moan, as he thrust his cock up into Steve’s grip.

*****

Fuck! This was really happening.

A large part of Bucky couldn’t believe it. It had felt like he’d blinked and he’d gone from laying behind Steve, hardly touching more than chest to back, to his hand against Steve’s hot skin. Steve’s heart had been picking up speed and his hips twitched against Bucky’s thigh in little aborted movements. Bucky had been immediately interested—in more ways than one.

Now, with Steve’s hand around his cock, Bucky’s brain whited out.

Fuck. How was he not still asleep? It all felt like the most wonderful dream, like everything he wanted most in the world. But this was real. It felt more real to him than anything had in a long time.

Bucky moved almost on autopilot. He pulled at the waistband of Steve’s pants, accidentally ripping the button off, and slid his hand in. He had to pull back out to work his way under Steve’s underwear but, within moments, he had a handful of hot, hard flesh.

“Fuck, Stevie. You feel so good.”

Steve’s moan was music to his ears and Bucky couldn’t hold his own back anymore. Slowly jacking Steve’s cock, he thrust his own up into Steve’s hand, timing them almost perfectly.

Steve’s hand was so much better than his own. He knew he could quickly become addicted. He could only hope that Steve felt the same.

Leaning forward, Bucky latched his teeth to the thick tendon leading from Steve’s shoulder to his neck. Sucking hard, he swirled his tongue against the skin there. Steve tasted delicious, like salt and sweat and something so indescribably _Steve_ that Bucky couldn’t get enough.

Moving his hand and his hips faster, Bucky prayed he could hold on long enough to get Steve to come first.

*****

Steve was awash in sensation. He felt so lightheaded from breathing fast that it was like when he used to have asthma attacks. Only, this was _a thousand times better_.

Bucky’s metal hand was on him and, knowing just what he was capable of with it, it lent an air of danger to the whole thing. But Steve trusted Bucky and always would. His mind was free to shut down and just _feel_.

On one of the times Bucky thrust in and out of his hand, Steve slid his thumb over the head of his cock. Bucky moaned long and loud in his ear. It added an extra zing to the shivers already racing up and down his spine and through all his limbs. So he did it again.

In retaliation, Bucky released his shoulder and arched up to suck on his neck right under his ear. It made Steve’s cock jump in Bucky’s hand. Even more so when Bucky pulled back an inch and blew a steady breath on the wetness there. After a moment, he went right back to sucking a bruise.

Steve twisted his wrist on one of Bucky’s upstrokes and was rewarded with stuttering hips and a tightening fist around his cock.

He was so close.

Using his free hand, Steve reached up and pinched and twisted his own nipple. It wasn’t quite enough.

Taking over from Bucky pumping a fist over his cock, Steve started thrusting his hips hard and fast. Bucky’s increased moans as the hand on his cock unintentionally moved in sync only heightened everything.

It wasn’t more than a minute before Steve came.

He didn’t mean to but, while he exploded with the best orgasm of his entire life, he stilled and tightened his fist insanely tight around Bucky. Bucky shouted as his hips stuttered in and out and he came.

Their orgasms seemed to last forever but, eventually, they both came down. They breathed hard and neither said a word. Slowly, Steve pulled his hand out of Bucky’s pants. He was covered in come.

Curiously he lifted his hand to his mouth and licked some of it off. It…wasn’t bad. It tasted bitter and salty, with a subtle undercurrent of something that reminded him solely of Bucky.

“Fuck…” Bucky said hoarsely.

Steve turned his head to see Bucky staring intently at him, at his hand. Looking him straight in the eye, Steve brought his hand back to his mouth and licked a wide stripe up his palm to the tips of his fingers. He took in as much of Bucky’s come as he could get. He had the pleasure of watching Bucky’s pupils dilate even more than they already were as he followed the movement closely.

“Fuckin’ hell, Stevie. You’re gonna be the death of me.”

And that…that was about all Steve could take.

He turned, sadly causing Bucky’s hand to slip out of his pants. He distracted himself by taking Bucky’s mouth hungrily with his own. He put all of his passion, all of his want, all of his love into the kiss.

He was relieved when Bucky reciprocated.

Their tongues tangled together for what seemed like forever, only breaking apart to breathe. But then they were right back at it. Eventually, though, their hot kisses quieted down and turned into sweet pecks. Giving one last one, Steve pressed his forehead against Bucky’s and closed his eyes.

He didn’t know what would happen now. Steve had started this, hadn’t he? What if Bucky didn’t want it? What if he’d only been caught up in the moment? What if he felt their relationship had changed too much? Or, worse, what if he decided Steve had ruined everything and they could no longer be friends?

“Stevie. Hey, sweetheart, open your eyes for me. Please?”

There was no version of Steve that could resist those words, that tone. With trepidation, he opened his eyes.

“Do you regret what we just did?” Bucky asked.

As much as Steve was afraid of Bucky’s answer to the same question, he only had one answer himself. “No. Never.”

“Good,” Bucky whispered. “Neither do I. Because…”

Bucky licked his lips and Steve couldn’t help but follow the movement hungrily with his eyes. Bucky quirked a little smile and settled.

“I don’t regret it because I love you.”

That made his eyes snap up to meet Bucky’s. In even his wildest, most secret dreams, Steve had never thought he’d actually hear those words. As much as he’d longed for them, he’d never thought Bucky would say them and mean them like Steve wanted him to.

But, with one simple phrase spoken, Steve’s throat dried up and his eyes began to burn.

*****

As confident as Bucky pretended to be in that moment, he was scared shitless. He’d laid himself bare and could only hope his feelings were returned. Logically, he knew that Steve wouldn’t intentionally hurt him, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t or wouldn’t happen.

After he said the words, after he told Steve of his love, if not how _long_ he’d felt that way, Bucky waited for something—anything—to happen.

Steve only stared.

“Steve?”

But he just kept staring.

Bucky’s insides began to shrivel and turn cold while his heart began to ache. He lowered his eyes before Steve could see the tears gathering in them.

Flipping back the blanket, uncaring of the drying come he smeared there, he hoisted himself up sideways so he could climb off the couch. There was only so much hurt Bucky would put himself through. It was obvious now that Steve didn’t return his feelings.

But Bucky could deal. He _would_ deal. He would lock everything in his heart away in a little box and ignore all his feelings—hurt and love alike. And he’d go back to being nothing more than Steve’s friend.

Having even a little of Steve Rogers was better than having nothing at all. He’d known that when he was a child and he knew it now.

He was about to climb over Steve’s legs and retreat to his room to wallow in his own misery when Steve suddenly exploded into movement.

In a blink, Steve’s arms were wrapped around him, locking them chest to chest. It distracted Bucky from his hurt but it also added to it. Steve had caught him right after Bucky had thrown his leg out to leave, so he now straddled Steve’s lap.

Bucky wanted to cry.

He really shouldn’t have been surprised, though. He’d spent seventy years being tortured. Pain was just a fact of life. The fact that his current pain was caused by the most important person in his world shouldn’t matter. Pain was pain.

Looking up at the ceiling, Bucky said in his deadest voice, “Let me go.”

But Steve didn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Just…please. Listen to what I have to say. And…and if you still want me to let you go, I will.”

Bucky didn’t answer, but he did stop trying to push himself away. He wouldn’t look away from the ceiling, though. He wouldn’t add crying to his list of lows that day.

“When you—”

Steve stopped and Bucky could hear his breath hitch. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind to tell whether that was good or bad for him. He assumed it was bad.

In an effort to distract himself from what would no doubt be Steve letting him down gently, Bucky’s eyes followed the lines of shadows across the ceiling, each one cast by a building blocking the setting sun.

“When you told me you loved me I was surprised. I never thought— I never imagined—”

Steve fell silent for too long and Bucky started to twist in his grasp again.

He’d almost made it when, sounding almost panicked, Steve practically shouted, “I never thought you could ever feel the same way I do!”

Bucky froze. Taking what felt like the biggest chance of his life, he looked into Steve’s eyes. “What?” he asked hoarsely.

“I-I never thought you could love me like…like I love you.”

On those words, Steve’s arms loosened. They didn’t release him all the way but it was clear that if Bucky wanted to leave, he could.

But he didn’t. He never wanted to leave.

The tears that he’d been holding back flooded his eyes. A few escaped to slide down his cheeks. Without a word, Bucky leaned forward and wrapped Steve in a hard hug, burying his face in his neck.

Steve’s arms tightened around him once more and, this time, it felt wonderful.

“Say it again,” Bucky said through his tears.

“I love you. I’ve loved you nearly my whole life. I’ve loved you since long before I knew what love even was. I’ve loved you since we first met.”

It took a while for Bucky to stop sobbing, his emotions too chaotic to speak. But when they calmed somewhat, he leaned back to look Steve in the eye.

“Me too. I’ve loved for so long I don’t know how to stop. I tried, because I didn’t think you felt the same, but I couldn’t. Now I’m glad.”

Bucky was sure he looked a complete mess. Red eyes, tear streaks down his face, bedhead, come on his hand and—uncomfortably—staining the inside of his pants. But, when Steve leaned forward to kiss him, Bucky only closed his eyes and smiled.

There was still so much they needed to talk about and work out. The fact that they’d been friends for so long didn’t negate that. But all that would come later. In this moment, Bucky was happy. He was the happiest he could ever remember being. Steve lit him up like sunshine.


End file.
